The Empires Prelate (Tenchi/Aeka, PLEASE R/R!)
by Vincent2
Summary: The thrilling conclusion to A Penny for a Princess, if you only read one fan fic this year, this one is a must!
1. Chapter 1- No need for a mask

The Empires Prelate (Part I)  
  
Disclaimer: Any Tenchi characters in this fic  
  
belong to AIC and Pioneer. If there are any  
  
characters that you have not heard of, they are mine!  
  
Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for important…right in the pail!  
  
  
  
A new day was beginning on the planet of Jurai. For all its majesty it was truly a jem in the galaxy, one that was respected by some, envied by the rest. Many civilizations came to respect Jurai as a model of peace and order, others thought of it as a repressive society that caged its citizens in with fanatic like restrictions. But, to one Princess Aeka, this was home, and it would soon be even more appealing to her. That is because on this day, not only having survived an attempt on her life, she would soon be reunited with friends, but one more so desired than the rest.  
  
Aeka quickly hurried to the landing port where Ryo-ohki would soon be landing. Accommodations were already being taken care of for the newly arriving guests. As Ryo-ohki touched down, a current of wind blew through Aeka's hair, as she could wait almost no longer. Shortly after, all of the passengers onboard beamed to the ground. Sasami was the first to hurry to Aeka who greeted her with a hug, and a lengthy one at that. "Oh Aeka, I missed you, are you all right, we heard about what happened!" "Yes Sasami, I am fine thankfully" Aeka smiled as she ran her hand through her sisters hair, she truly cared about her sister, to her, family was a major part of her life. Washu walked over to Aeka and poked her in the chest looking curiously at the princess. "Hey, what was that for?" "Keep your shirt on princess, I was just checking to see if you were still responding to any stimuli, scientific stuff you know. I wanted to see if you had any changes coming back home, and especially after the incidents you've been through lately" Aeka grew slightly irritated but held her composure for, off in the distance, was Tenchi.  
  
"Oh Lord Tenchi, its good to see you again" Aeka began walking toward Tenchi, slowly picking up her pace. Regrettably however, Aeka also saw Ryoko materialize right next to, or rather on top of Tenchi, she was visibly drunk. "Tenchi, are you sure you won't have the rest of this with me?" Ryoko was trying to shove the sake in his face for a majority of the trip. "No Ryoko, really cut it out, we're in public" Tenchi was growing embarrassed with her behavior. Ryoko looked at Tenchi and had an idea "Well, if you won't have some here in public, then why don't we have a nice little private party later then?" As Ryoko was saying this she drew closer and tried whispering this in his ear. Tenchi became red and a bead of sweat ran across the back of his head. Tenchi tried to get away from Ryoko's advances, but Ryoko wasn't about to give up so easy.  
  
"Ryoko, just what do you think you're doing to Lord Tenchi?" Aeka beamed right at Ryoko who tried to do the same but was still a bit too under the influence to do much. However, she quickly shook of the effects and glared at Aeka. "Look Princess, it was me who brought everyone here, you could show a bit more appreciation you know" Aeka stifled a bit "Humph, well, thank you, now would you please get off Tenchi, you're embarrassing him as well as myself" Aeka walked over to Tenchi who was rather happy to see Aeka himself. "Aeka, are you all right, we were all worried about you, especially when we heard when someone tried to kill you" Tenchi spoke as he put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.  
  
Aeka blushed slightly at this and Ryoko grew rather indignant at the situation. "Well, it certainly doesn't take long for the two of you to start flirting now does it?" "What are you talking about Ryoko, really, you are one to talk, hanging all over Lord Tenchi in your condition" The two shot a look at one another and Tenchi nearly went to take cover. Aeka however, quickly regained her composure "Anyway, I do not wish to fight you Ryoko, not here, not now. You are all my welcomed guests and we have prepared a special dinner in honor of your arrival"  
  
At that, Ryoko too regained her composure and simply shrugged as they all began walking towards the palace followed by Ryo-ohki who transformed back to her cabbit state. Tenchi breathed a sigh of relief and was quite impressed at Aeka's ability to control her temper this time around. He also noticed that she was walking rather distant from him and tried to avoid eye contact with him. (It really is good to see her again, I'll have a talk with her later on, I've got a feeling I'm not the only one with some things on my mind) They continued on till they reached the main hall and Aeka led them to the dinning room.  
  
Upon entering, they were amazed at the splendor of the room. It was a vast room, which was carpeted by what looked like expensive material; several paintings of Jurian royalty lined the walls. A large table made of some very attractive wood was placed directly in the center of the room. Several servants helped the gang into their chairs. Washu made sure she took a seat next to her daughter to keep a close eye on her. Sasami took a seat to the left of Aeka and Tenchi took a seat to her right. Once again, Tenchi found himself between both Aeka and Ryoko and hoped that this wouldn't get messy. Ryo-ohki simply flopped over next to Sasami and didn't mind sitting on the floor.  
  
Immediately, several more servants came out and presented a dish before each one of them and they were quite excited about digging in to their meals. Before they did, Aeka rose and proposed a toast. "A toast to us, to our friendship, we have endured much, but through it all we are still here" Everyone raised their glass in agreement. After that, they began to eat. Sasami was happy for a change not to have been the one to get dinner ready this time, and this meal looked as if it would have taken her hours to prepare.  
  
Washu took in her meal and when no one was looking, she sneaked a small bit into a small vile of hers to research later. Ryoko simply wolfed her meal down much to the disgust of Aeka. Tenchi began to eat but was more interested in having a talk with Aeka, it was after all the reason they came all this way. Aeka too mostly nibbled on her meal, though it was delicious, her mind too was on talking to Tenchi; she had a few things to talk about as well.  
  
After they had finished dinner, Washu, Sasami, Ryo-ohki and Ryoko left to the rooms that were provided for their stay. Tenchi simply sat at the table and fiddled around with his meal. Aeka stood from her chair and looked to Tenchi "Lord Tenchi, I…" "Yes Aeka?" Tenchi looked to Aeka who was still trying to avoid eye contact. "Oh, its nothing, really, please excuse me" Aeka quickly left the dinning room leaving Tenchi alone to his thoughts. (I should really go and talk to her, this can't wait till morning) With that, Tenchi stood from his chair and with a firm resolve, set out to find Aeka.  
  
Atop one of the towers there was an excellent view of the city, with its bright lights, wondrous structures and busy markets. Even at this hour, there was still much going on down in the city below. Aeka simply looked on and took it all in, it was so nice, a late night breeze went through her hair and she simply let out a sigh. (It is so good of a night, if only I weren't left to spend it alone, oh Tenchi, now that you're here, why am I still pushing myself away from you? Somehow, I know you care for me truly, and though I know that my father would not approve, I would still accept you into my life forever…) She started to cry because of the conflict inside of her that she felt could never be resolved. The only one in her life who she truly loved, the one who first blessed her with a kiss, the one who could make her feel alive every time he was around her, yet, were they just never meant to be? "Oh Tenchi…" Aeka put her face in her hands and began to cry, not knowing if there ever would be a solution to this dilemma of the heart.  
  
As Tenchi turned the corner, he could feel his heart race. True, he had been running all the way to where he had been told Aeka could be found, but that wasn't the reason. He knew he had to say something to Aeka, but he wasn't sure what. Somewhere in his heart, there was a place for her, but there was also a place for all the other girls as well. Yet, with Aeka, there was something else. As he turned another corner, he remembered when they first met, true it had been an awkward situation, what with him trying to steal back his grandfathers sword and all, but ever since, he knew that she was different. True, at times she could be a bit snooty and what not, but he knew that there was still good in her heart. Before long, he had arrived at the tower where Aeka was. At first, Tenchi almost turned back, his heart nearly was about to explode, he felt his breathing quicken, but he took a deep breath and began walking towards her.  
  
Tenchi looked at Aeka, watched her hair flowing in the wind, she was beautiful, but that wasn't the only thing that interested him. Unlike the boys in his school back on Earth, Tenchi was also interested in what lied beneath. With Aeka, he knew her rather well, but there was still more he probably didn't know about her. He also noticed that she had been crying.  
  
"Aeka…are you all right?" Aeka was startled by his sudden presence as she turned and gasped and put a hand to her chest. "Oh, Tenchi its you, yes, I am all right" She cleared her eyes and straightened out her clothing. "What are you doing up still?" "I might ask you the same Aeka, is there something that's on your mind?" Her pulse began to pick up as she felt Tenchi stare right through her. "Tenchi, well, I have been under quite a bit of pressure lately with the recent attempt on my life. I was truly hurt that someone would try such a thing. My people have done so much in the line of good diplomacy with neighboring planets that for such a thing to happen, well, it is unthinkable. But now that is over with and I must continue to uphold Jurian standards and prevent this from ever happening again"  
  
"Is that all that's bothering you Aeka, you've been avoiding me since we got here, are you upset at me over something?" Aeka realized he was right, she had been avoiding him ever since they had arrived, in fact, she was avoiding him right now, and she was still looking away from him, not once looking him directly in the eye. She was afraid that if she did, he could see all her secrets and know all her thoughts, including how she really, truly felt for him. "Tenchi, its just that, I missed you" Tenchi smiled and playfully responded, "Well, I missed you too" Aeka shook her head "No Tenchi, I truly missed you. For the first time since I met you, I finally realized what it would be like not to have you around, and for the first time in my life, I felt empty. I felt as if a part of me had been taken away, and I don't want that to happen again"  
  
Tenchi was stunned, she had described the exact same way that he had felt while she was away. "That, that's exactly how I felt Aeka. When you were gone, I also felt the same, like something was missing, and I didn't like it either" His voice was more serious now as he realized the direction this conversation was taking. He knew full well that the next few words might very well determine the future of their relationship. Aeka now looked Tenchi in the eyes, and decided to go for it all. "Tenchi, we've known each other for sometime now, we've seen each other at our best and our worst, me more so, and…I want you to know that you mean so much to me. I've been so afraid to say anything to you because, I was too selfish to be honest and admit how I felt for you. I've worn a mask all this time, hiding how I felt, afraid to show you my true face. Then, on that night when you kissed me before I left…I want you to know that you were my first kiss, I had wanted it to be special, from someone special, and it was, even if it was just once, thank you"  
  
She started to turn from him to make her way back inside, when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She felt herself being turned around and found herself looking right into his eyes, her pulse went wild. For a moment, she felt like she could see every thought, every emotion, every need, every want that he ever had. Somewhere, she hoped, that she was one of them. The next words that Tenchi spoke answered all her questions, and silenced all her doubts. "Who said it had to be just once?" With that, Tenchi took Aeka and held her close and she was overwhelmed as he put his lips to hers. Inside, her heart cried out to finally know that this was really happening, and that it was no dream. The wind blew gently around the two embraced figures, and on that day, on a distant planet, two lonely souls finally found each other in the endless stream of existence.  
  
When they had finished, they both looked each other in the eyes. "You realize Tenchi, this changes quite a few things" Aeka spoke after finally catching her breath. "Yes, I do, it means we can finally start being honest with one another" She smiled and kissed him again. "It's late, we'll talk more about this in the morning" Tenchi spoke and Aeka nodded as they started walking back to her room. All the while, they were never aware that two lonely eyes had been looking on from above, watching their every move, hanging on their every word, and in the end, these two eyes, were filled with tears.  
  
Washu sat up in bed; she hadn't been able to sleep, at least not just yet. "So, he finally chose, well I guess I just wasn't his type after all, and they do make a cute couple, maybe he just might have room for me later on" Washu pondered this thought for a moment, smiled her mischievous grin and was about to call it a night. (I'm sorry, my daughter, I was the only one aside from you that knew how you truly wanted it to be you) She knew that last message would probably be ignored, but it made her feel better knowing that she had at least tried. With that, she turned out the lights, pulled the covers over her and went to sleep.  
  
Tenchi had walked Aeka back to her room and kissed her once more as he reminded her that they had a few things to talk about in the morning. As he left, Aeka closed the door behind him. She felt herself lean against the closed door as she put her hands to her chest; she felt her heart still beating quickly. Aeka finally found out what she had been missing out on, and she hoped that it would never end. Finally, she let out a deep breath and went to one of her dressers. After finding a suitable change of clothing, she began to remove her jewelry and such. (Oh Tenchi, thank you, I promise you, I will do all that I can to make this work, no matter what!)  
  
As she was getting ready to get changed, she heard a noise from behind her. "Who's there, come out!" Aeka nervously eyed the room looking for any hint as to whether there was someone, or something in her room. At first, she thought she was only hearing things, but then she saw it. There indeed had been someone there, waiting for how long, she did not know. "You, show yourself!" Slowly the figure came out from the shadows and revealed its identity. "Bendin, what are you doing here?" She spoke barely a whisper, as she was shocked to see the Imperial Messenger come into full view. "Well, answer me, what are you doing in my room at this hour?" She raised her voice in case he had not heard her the first time. He merely stared at her, but there was something different about him, his eyes, they beamed at her. "What indeed…"  
  
His face was pale in the moonlight and a sickening smile began to creep across his face. Aeka began to head towards the door as she noticed he had a cloth in his hand. Before she knew it, he was behind her. She didn't have a chance to scream as he forced the cloth across her face. There was a foul smelling odor from the cloth that began to make her feel lightheaded. As she struggled against him, she knocked over several items from her dressers and finally succumbed to the foul odor that drenched the cloth. As she began to lose consciousness, she saw Bendin standing over her with that same sickening smile…somehow…she had seen that smile before…but where… Before she could guess, she lost all contact with the world around her.  
  
When morning came, everyone gathered in the dinning room for breakfast. At the table however, Tenchi noticed that two were still missing. (Hmm, Ryoko is probably still sleeping, but Aeka, she's never one to sleep late, but we were up pretty late last night) "Washu, do you know where Ryoko is?" Tenchi turned to Washu who was already helping herself to the dish in front of her. "Well…she's probably hung over that's all, just leave her some leftovers" Sasami giggled at this and Ryo-ohki was simply too busy eating to be concerned over the status of her master. "I'm going to go check up on Aeka" Tenchi excused himself and went off to awaken his princess.  
  
As he was walking he thought of how to tell the others of his choice. With the exception of Ryoko, they may all take it rather well. He then thought of Ryoko, and the kind of response she would have, he shuddered at the thought of what she would do, what kind of damage she could cause.  
  
He was at her door, but there was something wrong. "Aeka, are you up?" As he went to knock, the door slightly swung open. He proceeded cautiously inside. "Aeka…AEKA…….NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
  
  
Please email all questions, comments and complaints to yours truly at: despairisu@aol.com. 


	2. Chapter 2 Without you, I am nothing

The Empires Prelate (Part II)  
  
Disclaimer: Any Tenchi characters in this fic  
  
belong to AIC and Pioneer. If there are any  
  
characters that you have not heard of, they are mine!  
  
Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for important…right in the pail!  
  
  
  
Sasami was happily munching away on her breakfast when she first heard the yelling. Immediately, she bounded from her chair and followed by Washu and Ryo-ohki, they quickly arrived at Aeka's room. Sasami pushed open the door and noticed that something terrible had happened. All over, Aeka's things had been thrown about, obvious signs of a struggle. But the most disturbing sight was that of Tenchi, in the corner, kneeling, and weeping.  
  
"Tenchi, what happened?" Sasami shouted as she ran over to where Tenchi was. "She's gone…she's gone…" "What do you mean gone, where did she go?" Sasami was beginning to cry, as she grew fearful as to what may have happened to her sister. Washu immediately decided to take control of the situation. She ran over to Tenchi and grabbed him by the shoulders. "Tenchi, listen to me, tell me what happened?" Washu added a little emphasis to her question by slapping him across the face. Tenchi had never seen her so serious before and realized that he had to pull himself together. He stood up and recalled what had happened up to the point when they came in. "So, someone has taken Aeka. Well, we better get going then, whoever took her has a bit of a head start on us!" Washu spoke firmly putting her fist in her palm.  
  
Tenchi still looked a bit dazed, but stood straight up and nodded in agreement with Washu. "You're right, but we'll need a ship" Sasami stood up and cleared her eyes "We should go find Ryoko, we might need her help" Washu gulped at this, she forgot about Ryoko, and that she knew about Tenchi and Aeka. They began leaving the room when Tenchi pulled Washu aside. "Thanks Washu, I, I just don't want to lose her…" "I understand Tenchi, let's go"  
  
Not too far away from the palace, they caught sight of Ryoko who was simply standing by a lake, looking at her reflection. She knew that were coming, knew what they wanted, and already had an answer for them. "Ryoko, what are you doing out here?" Tenchi asked, but she didn't respond. "Ryoko, Ryoko, we need your help, Aeka's gone, we have to go find her!" He was getting nervous over the fact that she appeared to be ignoring him. "Ryoko, did you hear me?" She simply continued to look at her reflection. (If only it was as clear to see peoples hearts, as it is to see your reflection) She thought this while Tenchi took her by the shoulders and turned her around. "Ryoko!" Tenchi shouted and held her a bit tighter and looked her in the eyes, but there was nothing.  
  
She quickly pushed his hands off her "I don't care, go find her yourself!" The three of them were shocked at what they had just heard. "Ryoko, you don't mean that do you?" Tenchi asked, he was feeling numb all over. "Oh I mean it! You chose her, you want to be with her, you want to hold her, you want to kiss her, you want to…then you can go find her yourself!" She turned and began to walk away "Let's go Ryo-ohki, there's no place for me, for us here" "Meow!" Ryo-ohki tried to protest. "NOW!" She yelled as Ryo- ohki simply lowered her heard and slowly began to follow Ryoko, she was, after all, her master. Tenchi, Sasami and Washu simply watched in disbelief as Ryoko continued walking off into the distance till she was out of their sight. A moment later, they saw Ryo-ohki take off and leave the planet.  
  
Tenchi simply stood there with his head lowered, and this reminded him as to why it had taken so long for him to choose. He knew that doing so would drive one of the other girls away. It was what he had feared, and today, it came true. (Ryoko…I'm sorry…) He was so entangled with his thoughts that Washu had to let him have it again. When he came to, he looked at Sasami and Washu both looking to him for their next move. "I never wanted this to happen, but I've made my choice, and Ryoko has made hers. We need to find another way to get to Aeka. Sasami, we need to get a ship" Sasami, who was crying over the sudden departure of Ryo-Ohki, shook her head "We can't Tenchi, if we do, then some of the council will start asking questions" Washu nodded "She's right, they'll want to know what happened, and that could cause another panic if the people knew that Aeka had been kidnapped" "So what do we do?" He stared off into space when a thought occurred to him. "Wait, what about Mihoshi?"  
  
Naturally, Washu was not inclined to ask the blonde detective for help, this time she would, if I were possible. "Afraid not, she's been out on a top secret mission and there's no way to contact her, we'll need to look elsewhere" Washu looked around and found what she felt would help them "We'll need to look there," She pointed down to the village below where there was bound to be someone with a ship they could use. Tenchi nodded and then turned his attention to Sasami. (She must be hurting from all this, but we need her to pull through right now) "Sasami, I need you to go back to the palace" The little princess shook her head "But, I want to go too, she's my sister and I have to help her" Tenchi placed a hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the forehead "I know, and you can help, I need you to go back and buy us some time. Make up any kind of excuse you can for Aeka's absence, please?" She looked up at Tenchi and as a tear ran from her eye, she nodded and began to run back to the palace, but first, she hugged Tenchi and whispered in his ear "Please save her, you have no idea how much you mean to her, and to me" With that, Sasami continued back to the palace.  
  
Tenchi was still stunned by her last statement, both about Aeka, and also the last part of her message. He couldn't tell if those were her own words, or that of Tsunami. Before he could think any further, Washu tugged at his sleeve and they went their way towards the village. His mind still in a jumble, Washu lead him to a nearby tavern. When they arrived, the door swung open as a wayward and rather drunk individual was making his way back towards wherever he came from. Inside, they were greeted by several stares and a stench of stale alcohol. As the door closed behind them, they began to scan the bar for the least intoxicated individual. "Washu, how do we find someone with a ship in a place like this?" Washu smiled "Simple, we just ask" With that, she jumped on top of the nearest table, it wasn't clear, but she saw to that. "Hey! Do any of you here have a ship and aren't too drunk to pilot it?"  
  
At first, most of the patrons ignored her thinking she was obviously out of her skull. A bead of sweat began to drop across the back of her head, when she heard an answer. "That…my dear…all depends on who's…doin' the askin'" From across the bar, Washu saw the origin of the voice. Both her and Tenchi walked over to the man who spoke, he was a bit tipsy himself. "We are, do you have a ship, and can we use it, it's an emergency!" He simply stared at Washu "My, you are spicy young gal aren't you?" She shot him a look "Look pal, we don't have time to make passes, do you have a ship, yes or no?" He nodded "I do, but I don't lend my ship out, I will be joining you on whatever excursion you're goin on, for the right price. And what is this emergency?" "We…we need to go and rescue someone" Tenchi replied, but the man shook his head.  
  
"Rescue eh? Who is it? A damsel in distress, or someone who forgot to pay their protection money?" Washu shook her head and got closer to the man and whispered in his ear "If you must know, we have to rescue Princess Aeka, there, are you happy?" Immediately, the man spat out what he had just began drinking. "WHAT!" He wiped his face clean and looked at Washu. "Now if that ain't just the cat's meow…I went through all that so she can get herself…" He mumbled lowly to himself before he stood up and walked over to the bar keep. He left a few coins on the table to cover his end. He turned to Tenchi and Washu "Well, you coming, the drinks here aren't much to talk about you know" They both let out a sigh of relief and quickly followed the man.  
  
At the spaceport, several cruisers and race ships were neatly lined up. Tenchi was still getting used to space travel and the sight of some of the ships made his head swirl, the sight of the ship they would board, made him want to hurl. He had a look of shock as he stared at the late model cruiser that stood before them. Washu chuckled slightly to herself "You expect us to get into this?" The man shot a look at the both of them "I admit it isn't much to look at, but it's space worthy, hasn't let me down yet" He smiled proudly as he gave his ship a playful hit, which caused a panel to fall off, Washu and Tenchi face vaulted.  
  
"Heh heh, not a problem" He slapped the panel back on and gave it a reassuring hit, this time it didn't fall off. "Now before we go, there's the issue of my payment" Washu had hoped that he would be too drunk to ask, but she braced for the worst. The man came closer to Washu and stared at her, this made her feel a bit uncomfortable. "You are Washu, the greatest genius in the universe, I recognized you the moment you walked into the bar. Tell you what, after this little mission, you build me a ship, and a damn good one, and you got yourself a deal. I mean, for the greatest genius in the universe a simple ship should be but child's play for you. So…do we have a deal?" He stuck out his hand and waited for her response. She thought it over for a moment (Oh Aeka, you so owe me for this one!) She smiled and rather reluctantly shook his hand, "Deal" With that they boarded his ship. He started the ship up and turned to his two passengers "So, where are we headed?" Washu pulled up her computer from sub space and pushed a few buttons "From my calculations, there was only one ship that left this planet just recently, and its heading was different from the rest, it also contained a Jurian signature, Aeka's to be exact. They were headed in the direction of the M'duhan section" He nodded his head, punched in the coordinates and started for planetary ascent. "By the way, the name's D'amond, Darul D'amond" With that, he turned back to face the screen ahead of him.  
  
As they broke orbit, Darul set course and set engines at full speed, they would be there shortly. As they tore across space at top speed, Tenchi couldn't help but feel anxious to get to Aeka. Washu saw the look of concern across his face and she took his hand "Don't worry Tenchi, we'll get her back, she may be a princess, but if anyone can give my daughter a run for the money as she had, she should be able to take care of herself" He smiled at her "Thanks Washu, I appreciate all the help you've given, I'm only sorry about Ryoko, I didn't mean to hurt her, really" "I know you didn't Tenchi, I must admit, I really wanted the two of you to be together, but…" She stared out one of the windows into space; her mind seemed to drift in no direction in particular.  
  
She had wanted so badly for her daughter to be happy, and when she found that Ryoko had taken a liking to Tenchi, well that made her feel a bit better knowing that maybe her daughter would succeed where she had failed, failed in finding true love, and keeping it. She was so far off in thought that she forgot that she was still holding Tenchi's hand. She blushed and let go and Tenchi did the same. "Tenchi, sorry about that" She smiled slightly, but, she still had feelings for him, and somewhere, a selfish part of her wanted them to never find Aeka, and without Ryoko, then he would be all hers. She could find a way, somehow, to make him forget about the other girls and they could be together, and she could finally be happy. (No, that's not right, he chose Aeka, and now is not the time for petty jealousy) "Washu, are you all right?" "Huh?" She blushed again as she tried to regain composure. "Oh yeah, heh, just drifted off a bit there"  
  
Before Tenchi could inquire anymore, Darul's monitor lit up. He looked and saw what it was "Oh @#$%, hey back there, brace for impact!" At that moment, the ship was rocked as if hit by a huge wave. All three were thrown about as the ship was tossed around space. After what seemed like forever, the ship stopped moving around and came about. Tenchi was on his head and Washu was not too far off from where he was, also on her head. Darul propped himself upright and immediately went for the controls, which would have told him just exactly what had happened, only they were dead.  
  
He kicked the panel a few times, but still nothing. (Time to give em' the news) "Are you two all right?" They both nodded as they too propped themselves upright. "Well, I got good news and bad news. The bad news, this ship, for just about all purposes, is toast" Tenchi gulped "The good news is, we still got life support…" He tapped one of the meters on the console that was still registering some numbers "Yup, I say about a few hours or so…oh and the emergency beacon still works…so if we're lucky, maybe someone will find us, though I doubt it, in this neck of the woods, not too many come round these parts"  
  
"What just happened?" Tenchi looked at Darul who shrugged his shoulders and tried to give the best explanation he could. "Well, I guess we hit a gravi…" Before he could finish his sentence, Washu interrupted "It was a tempestral wake…but how?" Both Tenchi and Darul looked to each other and then to Washu.  
  
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Darul inquired. Washu looked up from her computer, which was throwing all types of numbers and figures at her. "A tempestral wake, an enormous, and extremely rare anomaly in space which shakes the foundation of time and space itself, but I still don't know how it happened" She continued looking at her computer "From the looks of these figures, it wasn't natural, someone or something caused it, but that's impossible, the energy alone required to do such a thing is incredible!" Darul walked over to Washu and looked at the screen, but the figures didn't register to him, he was after all, just a soldier of fortune, not a professor of physics. "Well, no matter what caused it, you may want to keep your shouting to a minimal, remember, we only have a small amount of life support left" With that, Tenchi simply stared out the window and hoped that this was not the end of their mission. Darul for his part, sat back and took a swig from a flask he had stashed underneath the console, he knew someone would come, just not when. Washu, she continued with her computer to learn more about this artificial event, there was more here than met the eye. As this happened, the ship continued to drift in space, with only a beacon for help their only hope.  
  
Not too far away, in a corner of space that, up until that moment, was a rather peaceful section, something unexpected happened. At around the same time that the wake occurred, a small tear in the fabric of space tore itself opened, allowing an unsuspecting traveler to enter into this dimension. As the tear closed almost as soon as it appeared, a ship appeared that was not there a moment ago. On board, there was a bit of commotion between the owner of this ship and the onboard computer system, which was trying to explain what had just happened. "COMPUTER, what the hell just happened?!" The computer replied "As stated, a spacial anomaly occurred causing a tear in the space time continuum, thereby bringing us to this plain of existence, in other words, an alternate dimension" "Noi`jitat!" He stormed up and down the bridge repeating this to himself "Computer, how do we return home?" The computer thought this over for a moment and there was an ominous silence, then it responded "…unknown, insufficient data to form a logical hypothesis" "So in other words…you do not have a damn clue?" The computer thought again "…correct" He stared at the terminal for a moment, tempted to thrash it to pieces…but instead walked over to a window and stared out into space. (This is not good, she's probably worried sick by now…and I may never see her again…)  
  
This was not the way he wanted to get the day going. Nevertheless, he was determined to make the most of the situation. Before he could give the computer any instructions, "Excuse me sir, but there is…a distress signal coming from a source not far from here" He turned and walked to the terminal. He punched a few buttons and the ship in distress came into view, it was rather damaged. "Sir, the ship is badly damaged, most functions have ceased, life support is working, but only for a little while longer, shall we assist them" He leaned closer to take a look at the ship, it was a piece of junk all right. "Sir?" "Computer, set an intercept course, maximum speed, and establish contact if possible, and…prepare for company" "Yes sir" With that, the black ship that hung silently in space came to life, lurched forward and proceeded on its rescue mission.  
  
  
  
Please email all questions, comments and complaints to yours truly at: despairisu@aol.com. 


	3. Chapter 3 The Running of the Gauntlet

The Empires Prelate (Part III)  
  
Disclaimer: Any Tenchi characters in this fic  
  
belong to AIC and Pioneer. If there are any  
  
characters that you have not heard of, they are mine!  
  
Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for important…right in the pail!  
  
  
  
  
  
By Earth standards, they had been adrift for about an hour, and to one Earthling, this was the longest hour he faced. He merely looked out the window, wishing he were home, with the one he loved. Love, now there was a word he never thought he would hear himself say, never be brave enough to admit too. This man, was no average man, for in his hand, he held the affection of many a tempting and beautiful women, but in the end, he chose, chose to be alone no longer. But with choices come consequences, some good, some not, there were doubts, but in the end, there would be a way.  
  
"Tenchi, wake up, I see something!" Washu slapped Tenchi a few times to get his attention; he finally came back to reality. "What is it Washu?" The scientist simply stared out the window. "Well, whatever it is, it sure does look impressive, like no design I've ever known" While Tenchi was daydreaming, a large black vessel had appeared and contacted their ship. Darul was rather pleased that someone had heard the distress signal, and had answered. "Yeah, we kind of got caught in some space anomaly, my ship is dead. Would you mind giving us a lift, one way if possible?" he had spoken into the communicator to the black vessels computer. The computer spoke and replied that its owner would have them beam over. As far as his ship was concerned, Darul had to agree to leave it for loss; there was no hope for it now. "So long, you may have been a hassle at times, but you saved me more than I can recall…may the stars take you in" With that, Darul was the last to beam over, the black vessel began to leave the area.  
  
On board, the owner of the vessel was not too happy with having guests on board, but it was the noble and honorable thing to do, and he was a man of his code. As the final passenger beamed over, he had noticed something about this motley crew. The owner of the decrepit ship was of no one special, a soldier for hire as far as he could tell. But the other two, he could not help but feel a sense of awe around them. With the boy, he felt such a power, one that could very well rival his own, and a power such as that in the hands of a boy, what the gods must think when these decisions are made! But there was more, not just a power of the physical kind, but also that of the heart. That was the only thing that made him similar, to the Tenchi of his dimension.  
  
The woman, he vaguely recognized her, she was Washu, his wife had told him all about her, but he had also met her a few times while on the run. She was a genius in his dimension, but here, he felt something so much more, a power so great, almost to the point where he felt that he should bow to her. He knew that different realms had different existences, and this was one that he would need some getting used to. There was something else, a presence that was missing, he reached out to see what it was…and then he realized. (Kiyone…I do not feel you here, perhaps you do not exist on every plain, a pity, a dimension without you…a sad loss indeed)  
  
He walked over to his guests "I…am Vin-Roc, and this…" He waved his arm across the vast interior of the ship "This…is the Heart of Darkness" He gave a slight bow and draped his cloak over his shoulder. "I'm Washu, nice to meet you" She looked closer at Vin-Roc "You look like a healthy specimen, tell me, would you mind being my next guinea pig?" A bead of sweat went across the back of his head "Uh, thank you, but no" The boy stepped forward and extended a hand to shake "My name is Tenchi Masaki" Vin- Roc shook his hand and turned to the last of his guests, only to find him already sitting in one of the chairs near a window. "And I am Darul D'amond, thanks for savin us back there" This did not make him very happy. He cleared his throat and walked to the console "So, where were you three headed?"  
  
"We were hading towards the M'duhan section, I can give your computer the coordinates" Washu told Vin-Roc. He nodded and she walked over to the computer. She began to run her fingers slightly above the surface of the terminal. (Well, this is quite a set up here…hmmm…this must be the Artificial Intelligence) "Hello, may I help you?" The computer spoke as this caught Washu off guard. "Uh…dammit…don't do that!" She regained her composure "I have some coordinates for you…are you ready?" The computer stirred for a moment "Proceed" While Washu gave the computer the necessary information, Vin-Roc walked over to Tenchi "You can have a seat, though I see your friend here wasted little time in making himself at home" Again, he frowned at Darul who simply smiled.  
  
Soon the Heart of Darkness altered its course to follow the coordinates given. "At this speed, we should reach our destination within one klith (thirty minutes Earth standard). I take it this is some kind of rescue mission, yes?" Tenchi stared out the window for a moment then turned to Vin-Roc "Yes, I…I have to find someone, someone very special to me" He took a seat next to Tenchi and gave him a look to continue with his story. "Her name is Aeka…she was kidnapped a short while ago, and we're trying to find her, and to bring her back" "I see, any idea as to who would want to take her?" He shook his head "No, all I know is that I won't stop till I find her" Vin-Roc smiled and put a hand on his shoulder "Ah, spoken like a man in love, do not worry, we will find her, and punish whatever vile trash is responsible for such an act" Tenchi felt better knowing that he would help them.  
  
"We'll need a plan if we are to succeed though" Vin-Roc spoke as he stood and walked to the console. "I got your plan, we find whoever is responsible for this, find where he lives, go in guns blazin and take the Princess back before they knew what hit em', possibly putting a few holes in whoever gets in our way…simple enough" While Darul was saying this he jumped out of his seat and pointed his guns in the direction of the enemies he felt would try to stop them, acting out his plan. Vin-Roc turned and walked over to Daurl "And may I ask pray tell, who exactly put you in charge on board, need I remind you as to whose ship this is?" They were both eye to eye, neither backing down. "You got a problem with my plan guy, I'll have you know that plan has worked many a time, no reason why it shouldn't work again" Vin-Roc began to show signs of irritation as a look of anger began to grow on his face "That is the exact kind of foolishness that will get not only you, but everyone else killed, or does that not matter to a hand for hire such as yourself?" Darul grew a bit peeved at this and pushed Vin-Roc back. "Hand for hire eh, well it beats keeping my fingers clean pretty boy! You probably never drew blood, except when ya shave!" Vin-Roc immediately grabbed Darul by the throat and raised him rather easily some two feet off the ground.  
  
"You little peck! Before your ancestors were even conceived I was fighting for justice and peace, and yes I did spill blood, though I take no joy in that fact!" He looked menacingly into Daruls eyes "But perhaps, you may be an acception!" As he began to squeeze tighter around Darul's neck, something caught his attention. "What do you find so amusing, as you are but inches from death?" Darul smiled some more "Well…I may be going…to the great beyond…but you won't be having kids anytime soon pal…heh heh" At first, Vin-Roc did not know what to make of his comment, but Darul motioned to him to look down. He noticed that there was a gun pointed at a very important part of his anatomy. (Unbelievable…how did he manage to get a gun out that fast…and without me noticing?) "So…what's it…gonna be…" Before he could answer, Tenchi stepped in. "That's enough, both of you, save it for when we find whoever took Aeka!" Vin-Roc stared at Tenchi for a moment, but realized that he had allowed himself to get into a rage for blood, and it was rather disgraceful on his end to behave as such, he was after all, a prince. He reluctantly lowered Darul who massaged his neck to get the feeling back again. They both walked over to the bridge, each eyeing the other cautiously, where Washu was making quite a bit of conversation with the computer. "This sure is an impressive bit of work you got here, the intelligence of this AI is something all right…oh and we're here"  
  
The M'duhan section was little to look at. Many of the planets in this system had either been destroyed in some great war, decimated to the point of becoming lifeless rocks in space, and the other planets had been abandoned out of fear of sharing the fate of their neighbors. This was a section that many travelers avoided; it was truly a depressing sight and could possibly cause one to go mad. There may have been life, perhaps even great civilizations at one point in time, but now, there was only one planet that showed any life readings, and that was where they were headed. The two suns in this system offered light in vain to the other worlds, hoping that one day, there would be someone to appreciate it.  
  
As they neared the planet, Vin-Roc ordered the ship to go to stealth mode and take orbit around a nearby asteroid. He pointed to the orbiting ships that were guarding the planet along with the many defense satellites that were surrounding the area. So far they were undetected, but not for long. "I can not believe their sensor equipment, it will take them but a few minutes to detect this ship…very impressive indeed" Vin-Roc stood before the window and looked as several ships passed their way, but none stopping in their area, not yet. "Computer, identify this planet…" The computer hummed for a moment "Unknown, this dimension is foreign…no known maps are in my data files and…" "Tethlohan…" At that, they all turned to Darul who had his back to them.  
  
"What was that?" Vin-Roc inquired. "Tethlohan…the name of the planet is Tethlohan…and I had hoped to never see this place again" "You know this place?" Tenchi was eager to learn more. "Yes, some time ago, I…used to work jobs with and old partner, he used to get his work from here…some sick old character named the Directorate runs things here…he's insane…always going on about making the high and mighty bow and gravel before him…and he may have been the one behind all the turmoil back on Jurai…damn, I should have realized when I heard where we were going, but that was so long ago…and now…" They all stood there silently as Darul walked over to the window and looked at the planet.  
  
"Well, I guess we should get going, they'll find us any moment now…" At that, Vin-Roc nodded and ordered the computer to begin approaching the planet. He reluctantly asked Darul "Do you have any suggestions for a proper place to beam down?" who nodded "Try…over here" He pointed to the planet which the computer magnified the image several hundred times to get a better fix on the location. "Computer, as Darul had instructed, make a pass over that area…and prepare for combat"  
  
The Heart of Darkness came from around the asteroid it had been hiding behind and began its approach…and then the attack began. Immediately, the satellites had opened fire on the general area, which the ship was in and was soon joined by the surrounding ships. The black vessel, though unseen to the naked eye, but visible to their monitors, began to shake slightly from the attack of the hostile forces around them. On board, Washu and Tenchi held on to the console nearest them and Darul was thrown across the floor. Vin-Roc stood his ground, or rather floated a foot from the surface. "Well, I suppose there is no use in hiding any longer, computer, uncloak and fire, maximum bursts!" The Heart of Darkness became visible and began launching a barrage of its own. Just as quickly as the ships had begun attacking, many were either completely destroyed or were heavily damaged and were retreating. As the ship came closer to the planet, they were hit with another barrage as the orbiting satellites reminded them of their presence. But they were soon dealt with as the vessel sheared the satellites in half with several energy blasts.  
  
"That takes care of that, shall we depart then?" with that all four passengers aboard the vessel were transported down to the planets surface, directly into the main compound where it was believed that Aeka was being held. As they materialized, Vin-Roc immediately tapped a button on the communicator on his wrist and informed the ship to remain in orbit but be ready to leave at a moments notice. "Now for this Directorate fellow, where shall we find him?" They had beamed down into a large room, and it was nearly pitch black, that is, until the voice spoke.  
  
"Finding me should be the least of your worries" It was an old voice, old and empty, void of feeling, of compassion, of pity, of any good. Both Tenchi and Washu tried in vain to see where the voice was coming from. Darul the same and Vin-Roc merely stood his ground and tried to feel any presence around him, he felt one…but it was not this Directorate character. "Enough, show yourself coward!" Vin-Roc was growing impatient. Suddenly, a light came on, one that shined through the entire area. When the light had been reduced enough for them to see, they were shocked at the sight before them.  
  
In front and all around were monitors that were watching every aspect, every detail, every action of a million faces across a million planets, but that began to change till hey all showed the same image, that of the room they were presently in. Each monitor showed them from different angles, showing their expressions across a million monitors, but that was not what shocked them. In the middle of the room, there was a tall cylinder, approximately seven feet high and ten feet wide. It was filled with a glowing substance that didn't appear to be water as much as some form of plasma, but that still was not shocked them; it was what was being suspended inside the cylinder.  
  
At first, it was dark, but then the tube began to glow, and its content was revealed to them. "AEKA!" Tenchi shouted, as it had indeed been her inside the tube. "Indeed, it is Aeka…" From behind the tube, a throne appeared and was suspended in mid air next to the tube. "So, you are the Directorate?" Washu looked over the old figure seated on the throne. "Correct Professor Washu…I have heard of you as well as you Tenchi Masaki" He turned his attention to Tenchi and pointed an old, shaking finger at him "I have watched you for some time now…though I never expected the day would come when I would actually meet the one that had caused me to go through all this" Tenchi looked puzzled "I don't understand, what do you mean I caused you all this, and what have you done to Aeka…is she…" "Dead, no…she is much too important to my plan to die…just yet"  
  
The Directorate leaned further back into his chair and folded his hands "For too long now, the royal family of Jurai has grown fat off the sweat and tears of its people, and off the blood of other worlds. The monarchy has fallen into a state of decadence and greed and self-ambition are the key motivators now. But soon, very soon that will change. Darul, I had hoped to have the Princess eliminated thus making it easier to conquer Jurai, but you ruined that! I wanted so much to plunder the one world which simply turned its nose upward from us when we cried out for help" He again motioned to the tube with Aeka inside. "What you see here, is the final weapon, the one which will put an end…to all life on Jurai…for if I cannot have its beauty and spoil…then no one shall!!!" Washu looked to the Directorate "You know something…you're quite mad" He took this in "Ah, you doubt me…I believe you felt but a small taste of the power that lies untapped in this little vessel here. That tempestral wake that hit you and your merry little group earlier was caused artificially. By combining the core matrix of this planet and with the ultimate power, that of Jurai, such a feat is possible. Soon, the weapon will be at full power, then none shall stand in my way of completing my revenge…quite ironic would you not agree, the very one sworn to protect the people, shall be the one to cause their demise…lovely isn't it?"  
  
A menacing smile came across his face as he waved a hand, and Aeka woke up. She was still recalling the last thing she saw, being attacked by Bendin, and then passing out. Her last thought…was of Tenchi and if she would ever see him again. When she came to, she immediately she realized something was wrong, she began pounding on the walls of the tube trying desperately to break out, but it was no use. Then, she saw the others, and Tenchi. "Oh Tenchi…please help me!" "Aeka, I'm coming!" with that, Tenchi activated his sword that he had taken with him and began running for the tube. He instinctively drove his sword right through the tube, which passed through and didn't make a scratch, for it had been a hologram. The Directorate chuckled at Tenchi's vain attempt of heroics. "Bastard, eat this!" Darul had had enough of these games. He pulled out his guns and began firing at the Directorate, who too was a hologram.  
  
He began to chuckle "Fool, do you really think I would endanger my plan by being so ignorant…I am some way off from here, as is the Princess" The holograms faded away and three paths appeared before them. "As you can see, there are three paths ahead of you, I am a fair individual, therefore chose a path, but beware, as only one of them leads to the Princess and myself. Move quickly, as her time shall soon expire, as well as that of all that she holds most dear…quickly now…quickly…" His voice eventually faded away.  
  
"Wretched fool, he truly is mad…such a plan will result in the loss of all life on this world as well. Tenchi, are you all right?" Vin-Roc walked over to Tenchi to help him up. "No, but thank you anyway. We have to go save Aeka!" "I agree Tenchi…we shall divide and take a path each, I shall take the path to the left" Tenchi simply looked straight ahead "I'll take the middle path" Darul simply shrugged his shoulders "Guess I get stuck with the right path…sheesh, you'd think they'd ask my preference first but nooooo…"  
  
As they began waling to their perspective paths, Tenchi turned to Washu "What about you?" Washu smirked at Tenchi "Don't worry about me, I'm going to go looking for their main reactor for this weapon and shut it down, permanently…Tenchi, go and find Aeka…she's waiting for you" Tenchi came back and hugged Washu "…thanks…little Washu, be careful too" "Yeah, make sure you come back, you still owe me a ship!" Darul mentioned this as he disappeared into the long path ahead of him. As Tenchi and Vin-Roc too disappeared down their paths, Washu simply looked on for one last moment, then after wiping a tear from her eye, she too turned and began walking down the path that, from her estimates, would take her to her destination.  
  
Darul was halfway down the path, or at least he hoped he was, when he saw a shadow move past him. At first, he thought he was seeing things, so he continued. Then, he saw it again, only this time, it wasn't alone, not by a long shot. It wasn't until one of them took a shot at him that he knew he was in for some trouble. The shot missed and he instinctively pulled out his gun and fired back, making its mark. The shadow fell to the ground with a thud and he continued walking when the rest came at him, firing as well. Darul casually continued walking as he took out one after another as they approached him, never once missing a shot. "Well, at least I get to amuse myself along the way" Then the attacks stopped, and he felt a cold chill in the air. "…you just don't know when to die…do you Sevyn?"  
  
There was a brief silence then "Oh, I just couldn't leave, not without one last dance, partner" "You should never refer to me as that again, that was a mistake I regret…now show yourself, and let's get this over with!" Darul took a blind shot or two into the dark to see where he was. "Tsk, tsk, mustn't be too impatient, let's see, I killed you once, and you killed me, that makes us even…best 2 out of three then?" With that, Sevyn appeared, well dressed in black and with a devilish smile to boot. Without words both men began firing at one another, avoiding the cross fire, both men tried to get the other and each was hit by the other Sevyn took a graze to his mid section, Darul was not as fortunate. Sevyn stood his ground, while Darul took shelter behind a nearby corner. (Crap, he hit me again! Right, if it ends here, then so be it!) "Oh Darul, hiding again are we…just like the rat you always were…" Darul was not a religious man, nor did he ever want to be one, but this time, he'd make an acception. He said a silent prayer to whatever god might still listen to him, took a deep breath and went into the fray, guns blasting.  
  
At the end of the path, Vin-Roc was displeased to find that he had chosen the wrong path. (It looks as if it is up to either Tenchi or that Darul character…but wait…what is this presence I sense?) He looked around, and though it was too dark, her knew he was not alone. "Wherever you are, come out and face me…or have you no honor?" Still there was silence "Honor…what an antique you are" The figure stepped forward and met Vin-Roc only a few yards away. He was an impressive figure, nearly as large, if not the same as Vin-Roc, there was a look of evil in his eyes and he too was dressed in black with a sword draped over his shoulder. "Who are you?" The figure stood there and bent his neck in opposite directions, readying himself "I am Lendyn, older brother to Sevyn, he wanted to have the pleasure of dealing with Darul, now I am stuck with you…" Vin-Roc bowed slightly to his opponent "I shall try my best not to let you down then, shall we begin?"  
  
At that, they both charged one another and drew swords and clashed together. They parried several times back and forth, neither gaining the advantage. As Vin-Roc pulled back from one attack, he sheathed his sword and went diving at Lendyn with a few hand strikes, but Lendyn who appeared to be no novice himself blocked them. They both jumped back and Lendyn grinned "You will find that I am quite skilled in swordsmanship as well as hand to hand combat…please do not feel too intimidated" Vin-Roc returned the smile "Not at all, I always thrill at the prospect of a great challenge, now en garde!" Again they drew swords and parried again. (He is good…this may take longer than I had expected, I pray Tenchi is faring better than I)  
  
As Tenchi continued down the path, he grew more anxious and frustrated. His anger was getting the better of him, he felt responsible for Aeka being here. (If only I hadn't left her alone that night, if I had stayed with her…) finally, Tenchi reached the end of the path, and he had chosen correctly, for at the end there was a door. "Great, Aeka must be just on the other side!" His anger quickly faded to joy as he began for the door. "You shouldn't leave so soon, that would be rather rude of you" Tenchi saw from the corner of his eye a lone figure walking toward him. "Y...y...you're Bendin, you kidnapped Aeka?" The figure simply smiled and stopped walking toward Tenchi. "I took Aeka to fulfill the task that I had failed at doing once before…and as far as this Bendin business is concerned…well perhaps a visual aid is needed" At that, Bendin began to swell all over and his face began to twist and turn rather painfully. Tenchi gulped as he saw all the color fade from his body till he was pale. Finally, his transformation was complete…and Tenchi nearly fainted at the sight of the figure in front of him. "No…it can't be…it just can't be…" The pale figure began to hover slightly above the ground. "Oh but it is…did you truly think that a boy like you could defeat me…KAGATO!?" He began to laugh in the same manner that would haunt Tenchi's dreams some nights and this time, it was no dream.  
  
Tenchi activated his sword and readied himself for a battle he wasn't sure if he could win twice. "Now, before I destroy you, you're probably wondering how it was that I am still alive. Before we originally fought, I had the Directorate, who by the way is quite a good man yes he is, take a sample of my genetics just in case of, shall we say an emergency. After my original had lost, the Directorate immediately went to work on devising a resurrection for me. He chose the body of Bendin, for who better to serve as the key element than one so close to Aeka. A secret agent had my genetics inserted into Bendin while he was asleep one night. As time passed, my superior genes took over eventually giving me total control over him. Now that his use was done, I merely erased his existence, permanently…and now for you" Kagato drew his sword and took a few slashes at Tenchi who narrowly avoided being decapitated. Tenchi went for a few strikes of his own, but Kagato easily dodged them. "Silly boy, have you still learned nothing since we last fought. You are still sloppy and undisciplined, and I have a few thousand years experience than you…this time even the Light Hawk Wings will not save you…HIYAAA!!!!!" Kagato went for another strike at Tenchi. Tenchi instinctively blocked his strike, but in the process was sent hurtling across the room and landed with a hard thud against the wall. He nearly went unconscious, but he managed to stay awake, only to look up and see Kagato already overhead. He had a thirst for blood and a wild look in his eyes as he readied for another and possibly final strike "Well, I guess evil can win after all HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" And then he struck…  
  
  
  
Please email all questions, comments and complaints to yours truly at: despairisu@aol.com. 


	4. Chapter 4 Victory, an acquired taste

The Empires Prelate (Part IV)  
  
Disclaimer: Any Tenchi characters in this fic  
  
belong to AIC and Pioneer. If there are any  
  
characters that you have not heard of, they are mine!  
  
Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for important…right in the pail!  
  
  
  
  
  
Deep within the bowels of the planet of Tethlohan, one lone figure was venturing down the hallway, which was thought to lead directly to the planets core as well as the main hub of its operating system. (It must be around here somewhere, I can't be far, and it's getting mighty warm around here) Washu had narrowed down the location to the main reactor to just a few hundred meters away when she slowed her pace a bit to think. She truly wanted to succeed with her mission; yet, there were still some nagging feelings about Tenchi…and concern over her daughter. (Ugh, I've been through this already, Ryoko made her choice, yes I wanted her to be happy, yes I wanted her to be with Tenchi, but she needs to understand that some people you just can't make them love you…something I need to understand as well…). She picked up her pace as she continued down the hall till she reached her objective. The main reactor was enormous; locking itself into the very heart of the planets core and extending outward it stretched for several miles in each direction. It was dark and hot, Washu began to perspire even harder but she rolled up her sleeves and approached the terminal that accessed the planetary power grid with a look of determination. "Well, let's see what secrets little Washu can get from you…" At that, she began typing away madly on the terminal getting past all security restrictions that were placed in the system. (Give me some time guys, just a little more time…)  
  
In a distant room miles from where Washu was, there was a battle already in progress. (Crap, he hit me again! Right, if it ends here, then so be it!) "Oh Darul, hiding again are we…just like the rat you always were…" Darul was not a religious man, nor did he ever want to be one, but this time, he'd make an acception. He said a silent prayer to whatever god might still listen to him, took a deep breath and went into the fray, guns blasting. Immediately Sevyn began firing at Darul who returned the favor. Again, both men narrowly avoiding being killed took cover behind some columns that were in the room. Darul leaned back against his respective shelter, he was breathing heavy now, and his wounds were severely slowing him down. He refused to accept defeat so he stepped out from behind the column and fired at Sevyn. Sevyn avoided most of the shots but was hit by one in the leg. However, Sevyn managed to get off a few shots of his own, one of which getting Darul in the arm. Darul leaned back against the column again and tied a piece of his shirt around his wound (Dammit, he got my arm…ok, this sucks now!)  
  
"Had enough partner?" Sevyn spoke rather smugly from behind his column. He too tied a piece of cloth around his leg to cover the wound. Sevyn was no fool, he knew he couldn't keep this up for long either. He wanted to bring Daruls head back home as a trophy, but in order to do that, he had to survive this gunfight, and at this rate, Darul would wind up having the last laugh. He leaned back and let his mind wander for a moment (How did you let it get to this point, dammit we had our pride, was it really worth selling that to that old mummy…and to think that once…I was…) He came back to reality, and decided to end this game, now, for good. "Darul, you still there?" From behind his column he replied "Yup" Sevyn collected his thoughts "Look, you and I know we can't keep this up for long, and by my last count, we're both down to one last bullet, am I right?" For a moment there was silence as Darul checked his inventory to confirm what Sevyn had just said "Yup, seems about right, you goin somewhere with this?" Sevyn got a bit peeved by his comment, but paid it no further mind "My point is…let's settle this, one shot, one winner, a duel if you will, what do you say, partner?" A smile crept across Sevyns face as he awaited Daruls reply. Again there was silence and Darul answered, "You really are a character you know?" Sevyn knew this was Daruls way of agreeing.  
  
Both men stepped out from behind their shelter and stood in front of the other. Both Darul and Sevyn threw aside their empty guns and held their loaded weapons by their side. There was a deathly silence as a cool breeze flew through the room. Sevyn licked his lips in eager anticipation of taking home his trophy, Darul simply wanted this over with, and to get back to the bar for another drink. One shot, one chance, one victor, for both of these men, it was what they had both come to expect the day they parted ways…then the breeze stopped flowing, and both men fired. In the blink of an eye, both men saw their lives flash past, both had their regrets, their good times, their bad times, times as friends, times as enemies. Of either of them, Darul felt the regret of having let it get to this point; they were after all, friends at one time. Sevyn, he had quite a bit to regret, but his past would be a story left untold, a song left unheard as his shot made its mark, as did Daruls.  
  
Both men fell to the floor, both dazed and tired, both looking up at the ceiling, both counting their last breaths, and then Darul got up. He walked over to Sevyn who was coughing up blood and was barely able to prop himself upright with his gun. Darul approached him slowly; the last shot hit him in his already wounded arm, which now hung by his side. Sevyn looked up at Darul "Well, I guess you won, it took long enough though damn you…cough…too bad you only had one shot left to finish me, now I must die on my own…cough" Darul stared at his former partner and friend for a moment, then he said his final words, the last Sevyn would ever hear "Oh, I lied about having only one shot left, but then again, you always were one damn big fool, so long…partner" As Sevyn found a look of shock across his face he noticed Darul simply stare coldly into his eyes, and then pull the trigger. His hot found its mark right between Sevyn's eyes, and he fell back to the ground, his eyes looking heavenward. Darul closed his partner's eyes and covered him with his jacket. (Now, where do I go from here?) He looked around, but felt to tired to go on, so he took a seat across the room, looked at Sevyns fallen body, and when he assured himself that he was dead, he closed his eyes…and waited.  
  
In another room closer than one would think, Vin-Roc was having his fair share of troubles squaring off against Lendyn, the older brother of the recently deceased Sevyn. Both men had gone back and forth from sword parrying to hand-to-hand combat, neither of them gaining any distinct advantage. One reason was that Vin-Roc was distracted with the thought that he was stuck in this dimension, that he may never get back, to his home, to his people, but most of all, to his wife…Ryoko. He had to come back to reality to avoid nearly being flattened by a shot from Lendyn who wasted no time in taking the advantage. Lendyn sent a fury of shots at the soldier who was almost unable to block the oncoming attack. Once more they changed over to swords and Lendyn went in for a quick strike when Vin-Roc countered his move and came around behind Lendyn nailing him with the hilt of his sword. Lendyn was sent reeling from the blow and came to just in time to avoid being decapitated.  
  
They were beginning to breathe heavy as they both jumped back from one another "I see…you are quite a challenge indeed…" Lendyn smiled as he complemented Vin-Roc. "And to you, you are quite the opponent yourself…all rested are we?" "Indeed, let us continue then…" At that, they continued their duel, all the while Lendyn knew that his brother had failed, and that it was up to him to stop his opponent and keep his name in honor and glory. Finally, both men locked up again as their swords clashed together and in the struggle, their swords were thrown aside. Next they locked hands in a struggle of sheer power. Both men grunted as they struggled against immovable objects. The sweat poured down their faces, this would be settled crudely and barbaric, a test of power, no fancy techniques whatsoever. Both pushed back and forth, giving it their all, until something caught the attention of Lendyn. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that Vin-Roc was (…no he couldn't be, I must be seeing things) but he wasn't, for indeed he did see something, a most disturbing thing indeed…he saw Vin-Roc smiling. "What…is…so…amusing!?"  
  
Lendyn struggled just to get those words out as he tried to hold his own ground. The soldiers' smile grew even wider "I must say, I have to apologize to you…here you are giving it your all, and doing quite well indeed, and yet I for my part, have been holding back this whole time" Shock ran through Lendyns system as he tried to understand just what had been said to him "You…can't be…serious…no one is that powerful!" Vin-Roc only smiled and before Lendyn knew what had happened, Vin-Roc loosened his grip and held his hand to Lendyn's chest and with great ease, he released a shock wave that sent Lendyn hurtling into an adjacent wall, which he hit with a sickening thud. The soldier slowly walked over to where his opponent was. Lendyn tried to move, tried to counterattack, anything, but soon realized that nearly every bone in his body had been shattered…soon the end would come. "I see…then both my brother and I have both failed…very well Vin-Roc…end it…now!" The soldier stepped closer to his fallen opponent and without words, lifted two fingers up and let loose a stream of energy that engulfed Lendyn, leaving nothing behind but an outline of where he once sat.  
  
He next directed his attention to the wall in front of him, if there was no exit, then he would simply make one. Vin-Roc raised a hand to the wall and emitted another wave of energy and leveled the wall. From behind the debris, he saw a figure sitting against a column. After the dust had cleared he heard a voice "…cough damn near took you long enough…guess we both chose the wrong path eh?" Vin-Roc walked over to Darul, examined his wounds and helped him to his feet "Your wounds are not severe, and yes, we both chose incorrectly…it would be best to double back and take the path that Tenchi chose, we must hurry though" At that, both soldier and mercenary made their way back to the main hall and began down the path which would lead them to Tenchi.  
  
Kagato went for another strike at Tenchi. Tenchi instinctively blocked his strike, but in the process was sent hurtling across the room and landed with a hard thud against the wall. He nearly went unconscious, but he managed to stay awake, only to look up and see Kagato already overhead. He had a thirst for blood and a wild look in his eyes as he readied for another and possibly final strike "Well, I guess evil can win after all HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" And then he struck…  
  
Tenchi came so close to failing his mission, but avoided Kagatos attack. He quickly retreated to a distant corner of the room to gather his thoughts, but in a moment Kagato was again on top of him. They clashed swords and vied for leverage, Kagato leaned closer to Tenchi "Why do you keep fighting, you are only delaying the inevitable. You possibly can't hope to defeat me twice boy…and if you did, you will never stop the Directorate from completing his mission. Soon, all of Jurai will be nothing more but a hallowed memory" At that, Kagato pushed Tenchi away and began for another attack. (Oh man, there's now way I can beat Kagato, not without the Light Hawk Sword…but I don't know how to make it work again) He continued to parry against Kagato's attacks, but his confidence was beginning to fade, and he was getting careless with his fight. Kagato came ever so close again to beheading the boy prince as his smile only made Tenchi feel even less confident. (Damn, he makes this look so easy…) Suddenly, Kagato pulled back and put a distance between he and Tenchi. "What is your problem boy, have you no heart?"  
  
This was quite a shock to Tenchi…what was he up to. "Here you have come all this way, traveled far across the galaxy and you are but a short distance from your damsel in distress, all you need do is defeat me and she is yours…why do you hold back?" His smile began to fade as Kagato held a stern yet blank look on his face. (What does he mean…does he want to lose, is he really that eager to die…again?) Kagato could tell what he was thinking so he deiced to clarify "Please don't misunderstand me, I have every intention of killing you, I was merely trying to inspire you, I don't appreciate a half hearted battle, especially when it is against one who has already slain me. A victory over your slovenly attempts would bring me no satisfaction whatsoever" What he did next, Tenchi could not prepare himself for. Kagato withdrew his sword and turned his back to Tenchi "Then if you will not even try against me, then leave…get out from my sight! I was wrong; you are not a worthy opponent, merely a hapless boy who got lucky the first time around. Leave, let someone else try, someone…who really cares about the princess" With his back turned to Tenchi, Kagato drew a sickly smile across his face; he knew Tenchi would not disappoint him.  
  
Those last words hung on Tenchi (…someone who…really cares about Aeka…well do I? Of course I do…but I can't beat him…not again…I just can't…) He hung his head low and his sword deactivated itself for his owner had lost its confidence. This was a defeat that was even greater than death, for he could not go on, or could he? (If I don't even try, then Aeka will die…and I would have to live on…without her…) This was something he could not live with. At that, Tenchi activated his sword again, raised his head with eyes slanted, and full of anger and determination, he grasped the handle tightly "Prepare yourself Kagato…this time…I will show you no quarter!" Kagato turned to face him with a smile still across his face "Good, I see you will not disappoint me this…" Before he could finish his sentence, it was Tenchi who was within inches of decapitating Kagato "Ugh…" He muttered as he was struggling to block every shot that the now angered Tenchi was unleashing. (…Ugh…what have I done…he is truly mad and out of control…) The now shocked Kagato was backed up against the wall as Tenchi swung furiously knocking Kagato's sword aside several times and nearly missing Kagato who managed to evade all his attacks but one. Tenchi went for one last drive, and his effort was not in vain, he swung and as he knocked Kagato's sword aside, he managed to get in a good swipe across his face which sent him reeling across the room shouting in pain.  
  
He wiped the blood from his face as he saw Tenchi standing, though breathing very heavily, still holding his sword tightly, and readying himself for another attack. "Most impressive boy, I see you have improved, and that I was successful in getting you to release your anger, tell me, did it feel good…oh it must have…to get that close to defeating me…to avenging your pitiful pride…I truly hope it was worth it…for now it ends" As Tenchi began for another, and hopefully final attack, Kagato withdrew his sword and aimed both hands at Tenchi. Concentrating his power, Kagato unleashed a beam of pure green evil which engulfed Tenchi and began to burn away at him. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH" Tenchi fell to the ground as his sword was knocked away. Kagato smiled greatly, for he had managed to get a good fight out of Tenchi, he was almost sorry it had to end so soon. He continued his attack and began to walk closer to Tenchi, gloating over his victory. "A pity indeed, here you were so close to victory and now, you stand on the threshold of death…for I am your deliverer!" At that, he turned up the power and the amount of energy increased causing Tenchi to scream greater. Far down the hall, both Vin-Roc and Darul thought they heard screams and began to pick up their pace, but they knew they would not make it in time if it was Tenchi who was in danger. Closer Kagato came and Tenchi felt his life slipping, and he began to see back on all the times that he could remember…if this was truly the end, he wanted to know again why he tried his best, pushed so hard, went so far and ultimately failed.  
  
He recalled again when he had first met her, the times she showed her feelings towards him, though never saying a word (…Aeka…that one word…of all the words I spoke, that one means the greatest to me…maybe when we are both dead, we will meet each other and then we can be together…no more pain…no more suffering…just you and I…failed you…that's what I did…and you will never know…how I truly wanted you…NO! I can't…fail…) Kagato came closer to the point of being overhead, he wanted this to end too (I won't fail…because I care for Aeka…I need Aeka…I LOVE AEKA AND I WILL NOT FAIL!!!) Kagato was about to finish Tenchi when a bright light flashed forth and blinded Kagato for a moment causing him to stop his onslaught and back away. He covered his face from the bright light "What…what is this…why won't you just die…you can't win…damn you boy!!!" At that, Tenchi, completely healed from Kagato's relentless attack, stood tall, and bathed in a blue light…for once again, he had summoned forth the most powerful weapon known, the Light Hawk Sword. He finally came to realize what was needed to call them forth, the first time and this time…it was his love…for his friends, family…and now the one he so cherished the most.  
  
"The name is Tenchi Masaki…remember it Kagato!" Tenchi formed a sword and rushed Kagato; defeat now was not an option. Kagato recovered from the blinding light and drew his sword, he knew this was the end…but for who? He charged as well as both men met sword against sword, Kagato barely escaped as his sword was spilt in two. He formed another and threw it at Tenchi who calmly knocked it aside. His thoughts were clear, and he charged Kagato again. The criminal tried to form a sword and defend himself, but soon felt a warm sensation as his midsection was cleaved in two. As he fell to the ground, he looked up at Tenchi, in his eyes, there was no remorse for the fallen criminal, he had been defeated again. "Very…good…at least…you fought with…all you had…she is waiting for you…go to her and save her…if you can…Ten...chi…" With that, the life of the infamous criminal known as Kagato had finally come to an end. Tenchi powered down and turned to the door ahead of him, Aeka was there, and he would not leave without her.  
  
  
  
Please email all questions, comments and complaints to yours truly at: despairisu@aol.com. 


	5. Chapter 5 The Finish Line

The Empires Prelate (Part V)  
  
Disclaimer: Any Tenchi characters in this fic  
  
belong to AIC and Pioneer. If there are any  
  
characters that you have not heard of, they are mine!  
  
Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for important…right in the pail  
  
  
  
As both Darul and Vin-Roc hurried down the hall to the screams they had heard, they both knew that if it were Tenchi were in trouble, they would not make it in time. But then the screaming stopped, but that did not stop them from running, at least not immediately. It was Darul who noticed that Vin-Roc had stopped running, and had a look of awe on his face. "By the gods…it…it can't be…it feels so…powerful…yet so pure…" The soldier stood still while Darul walked over and waved a hand in front of his face "Hey…anybody there…what the hell are you talking about?" Vin-Roc turned to the mercenary "Did you not feel it…it was incredible…" Darul slowly shook his head "Look man, you're creepin me out…come on…we're almost there…don't start getting all mystical on me…" They continued down the path till they reached the end. In the room they noticed the door that unmistakably led to the room where Aeka was being held. They noticed that an outline had been left of a body that had just recently been incinerated; they were relieved to see that it was not Tenchi's. "Well, guess our boy Tenchi made the grade on this one…after you my good man" Darul gestured to Vin-Roc to go first through the door. The soldier ignored his crude attempt at humor and proceeded.  
  
Washu was getting fatigued with the length of hacking she had before her, but she was nearly finished, soon the central core would be deactivated and the threat would be averted. What Washu never noticed though was the security measures that had been set in the unlikely event that someone would be so foolish to try what was being done. Several tentacles appeared through small ports in the walls and began making their way towards Washu. As Washu was nearly completed with her task, she paused to take a breather. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that there was something approaching her. Quickly turning, she avoided being electrocuted by one of the tentacles. Washu formed a small energy saber and began to take out the security devices till it appeared there were none. "That takes care of that, now if there will be no further interruption, super genius at work here!" As she was nearly completed, she never noticed the last tentacle creeping up from behind till it was too late. It struck her with an electric force that would have killed her but she managed to slice it with her saber. As the tentacle fell to the floor, so did she. Washu began to fall into unconsciousness (…Tenchi…don't let me down…I still…you…) and then she passed out.  
  
In the great hall where the Directorate sat waiting next to the tank where Aeka was being held, his patience soon paid off, for he was soon joined by Tenchi and then by Vin-Roc and Darul. The three turned and nodded to one another happy that they had all made it, and then they turned to the Directorate who clapped his hands in amusement. "Well done…well done indeed…this is most splendid. You have bested my heralds, a feat I thought you would not be able to accomplish. And now, you are all here, how convenient" He smiled and folded his hands together. Tenchi stepped forward "All right, we made it here, release Aeka…NOW!" The Directorate leaned forward and stared directly at Tenchi "My…we are the bold one…good. But you see, I simply cannot give up my prized possession, for I still have not yet accomplished what I set out to do…but worry not, you are all invited to stay and witness a momentous event…the complete destruction of Jurai…a pity though as such a feat will undoubtedly end dear Princess Aekas short and meaningless existence, but so be it" Vin-Roc stepped forward "Surely, you do not expect us to simply stand back and do nothing?" Darul too stepped forward "Oh hell yeah, look old timer, we didn't come all this way so you could toast a whole planet" He pulled out his gun with his only good arm "So give up the Princess or its 'Lets see what the Directorate had for lunch' time" He took aim straight at the Directorate who continued to smile. "Disrespectful whelp, you truly do not yet fully comprehend the situation do you...very well then…fire if you will" Darul full welcomed the invitation and took several shots at the Directorate.  
  
All of his shots merely reflected off the Directorate as a field of sorts surrounded him. They also noticed that Aeka showed visible signs of pain with each reflected shot. "As you can see, this field is quite effective, so much so that any damage you may try to inflict on me will be felt by dear Princess Aeka…do be careful for in her condition I fear she may not be able to handle much more….Ha…Ha…Ha…HAHAHAHA!" All three of them took a step back; there was nothing that could be done. "You damned coward…" Vin-Roc shouted, it was all he could do. Tenchi merely watched on, looking down at the ground. He did not come all this way to lose…he would try one more time. He focused his thoughts on Aeka only, ignoring the taunts and laughter from the Directorate, drawing inward, he felt it and called it out once more. Again, he was bathed in a blue light, as both Darul and Vin-Roc looked on in awe. The Directorate raised an eyebrow "My…such power, perhaps you would make an excellent replacement when I am done with the Princess" Tenchi merely looked coldly into the old mans eyes "Like hell you will" He formed one sword and lunged forth, but not at the Directorate, his aim was Aeka. "You're mad, what do you think you are doing?" The old man shouted, but it was too late. Tenchi closed his eyes, thought of all that he had wanted to do with Aeka and struck the tank which held her. His sword broke through the field causing Aeka great pain, but she was set free. As Aeka fell into Tenchi's arms, once more, the Light Hawk Wings disappeared again.  
  
"Aeka…are you all right?" Tenchi tried to awake Aeka "…Tenchi…you came…for…me…thank…you…" She fainted from the ordeal and he held her close. The Directorate swung madly in his chair "You fool…do you think that this is the end…well it is…for all of you!" He began to punch away at the buttons on his chair "It does not matter, I have absorbed enough power from her! I may not be able to destroy Jurai, but there is more than an ample amount of power to obliterate all of you!" Another button was pressed and a fierce red ball of energy engulfed his chair, the Directorates voice now boomed throughout the hall "BEHOLD…THE TRUE POWER OF MY PERFECT WEAPON!!" They were engulfed in the red fire and would have perished if Vin-Roc had not stepped in and immediately raised a field around them, but it would not last. "I…I can not hold this…too much energy…even I cannot stop an entire planet!" The shield that surrounded them grew smaller and smaller, soon it would fail them. Tenchi held Aeka closer as time and space began to distort around them (…well…this is it…wait…there's still Washu!)  
  
Off in the center of the planet, Washu lay unconscious…she had no idea how desperately she was needed. (Oh…its so quiet here…no distractions, no noise…no Aeka or Ryoko fighting…and no Mihoshi! I could stay here forever…but…there's something missing…Tenchi…where are you…why aren't you here…I need you…please don't leave me…but if you won't be here…then I guess it has to be…guess I should get up now…I still have to finish my job) Slowly, Washu began to get up, rubbed her arm where she had been shocked and got back to the terminal. She noticed that most of the power had been directed to the main hall. "Oh no, its begun, I have to hurry!" Like mad, Washu typed away in hopes that she would be able to implement her last ditch attempt.  
  
The shield was getting smaller, and everyone knew it would only be a matter of time. Darul sat back and hopelessly watched, he could only wait and hope that something would happen, and something did. As the Directorate increased the power, his eyes grew wide as victory seemed imminent for him. "So sweetly this tastes, oh vengeance how lovely…" Without warning, the power levels began to fluctuate "What…what is this….no!!!!!!!!!!" He punched angrily at the console on his chair, trying to realign the power flow. Suddenly, the entire flow of energy was set in reverse, and the Directorate found himself engulfed by his own weapon. "AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed as every part of his body was consumed and tossed forwards and back through the infinity of time, and then he vanished. .  
  
Much to Vin-Rocs relief, he released the shield from around them. They all stood in disbelief "What just happened?" Darul asked, puzzled though not ungrateful for the apparent miracle. Tenchi stood, still holding Aeka "Thanks…little Washu…wait…we still have to get her!" A look of shock came across his face. "Vin-Roc stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder "Do not fear, I will get her" He tapped a few buttons on his console and manually activated the transport mechanism aboard the Heart of Darkness and had it home in on Washu, he then activated the transporter and Washu materialized before them. "Nice" Washu noted as she walked over to where the rest of the gang were. Before there was any chance for small talk, the ground began to shake quite violently. "What is the meaning of this?" Vin-Roc inquired as the ground shook more violently this time. Washu pulled up her computer and looked frantically at the screen "This is bad people…all that power used for the weapon caused an overload in the hyper manual flux sensator and is causing massive hemorrhaging through the superstructure…" Tenchi grew impatient "In English Washu!" "The energy used by the weapon caused the core of the planet to go nuts, this whole rock is about to go kaboom!" Darul had a look of panic "Oh @#$%, this ain't good, lets get out of here…hey Vin, call your computer buddy up there and have it get us the heck outta here!" Vin-Roc nodded and tapped the console and contacted the ship "Computer…situation red…immediate evac now!" A moment passed and there was no response "Computer…COMPUTER IMMEDIATE EVAC!" But again there was no response, just static. "We have to get to higher ground, there seems to be too much interference from all the free roaming energy that is being released" With that, they began to run for the nearest exit which would lead them to the surface.  
  
When they had finally reached the surface, they looked in awe as they saw the ground literally collapse into itself "All matter is being pulled into the planets core, we have to go now!" Washu shouted. Again, Vin-Roc tapped his console trying to raise his ships computer "Computer…computer…I need an immediate evac, I repeat an immediate evac…do you hear me?" A moment passed and there was a voice heard over some crackling "Sir…I hear you…however…I have sustained severe…damage from a surprise attack…planetary defense…all gone now…but unable to…execute evac…I am sorry…" There was a look of solemn despair across the soldiers face…this was it, he spoke quite possibly for the last time to his computer "You…you did well, I am proud of you…try to escape the planets wake if possible…and…try to return home…let my wife know what has happened…" Another moment passed "Affirmative, I shall try my best…out" He turned to face the others, but by the look on his face, he could tell that he didn't need to tell them…there was no escaping this. Darul hung his head low but still managed a smile "Well, at least I got to finish my little war…and I got to meet some interesting characters along the way…guess you're off the hook for that new ship you owe me Washu" She let out a slight chuckle. Vin-Roc only gazed heavenward…wishing this was not the end…he almost thought he saw a shooting star pass nearby. The ground continued its descent into the planets core, which was now reaching critical mass. Soon, they were left standing on the only solid block of ground as far as they could tell. Tenchi simply held Aeka close, if it were to end, he wanted it to be with the one he cared most for. Washu walked over to Tenchi, feeling powerless, she simply put her arms around him and waited. As the ground beneath them began to crumble, they noticed themselves bathed in a white light of sorts and they began to feel lightheaded…then, everything went black.  
  
(…Aeka…Washu…Darul…Vin-Roc…they're all gone…and so am I…but where am I? Is this heaven…I don't want to die just yet…not when…not when I finally have someone…someone always to be with…please…if anyone can hear me…don't let me die!!!) "…no…don't let me…die…Aeka…" "Tenchi…Tenchi wake up….TENCHI!" There was a hard slap across his face and Tenchi immediately came to. At first, everything was a blur…but then he cleared his eyes and saw Washu standing over him "Well…you decided to join us sleeping beauty" The scientist smiled as she helped him up. He looked around and immediately realized they were aboard Ryo-ohki. "But…that means that…" He looked over and saw Ryoko at the controls, she briefly glanced over and had a look of relief that he was fine, she then turned back to the main screen. Washu briefed him on what had happened, how that at the last moment Ryoko had a change of heart and came to the rescue, transporting them up moments before they hit the planets core. The Heart of Darkness was in close tow, as Vin-Roc had requested to beam over to assist and oversee repairs. This was not necessary, as the ship was quite capable of repairing itself, but he was very uncomfortable being around this version of Ryoko. Darul had also beamed over to get some medical assistance from the ships onboard med program. "Where…where is Aeka…" Tenchi began to panic but Washu pointed to a bed where she had been resting the whole time. He felt some relief, but he had to know "Washu…will she…will she be all right?" She shook her head "I don't know Tenchi, she lost a lot of life from that weapon…my hope is that back on Jurai there may be a way of her recovering her lost Jurian life-force" He walked to Aeka and kissed her gently on the lips. He then went over to Ryoko who tried not to look his way "I…I know you're still angry at me…but for whatever it's worth…thank you…you saved us all…you're a hero Ryoko…we owe you our lives…" He went to put a hand on her shoulder, but decided not. He walked back to Aeka and never heard her reply "But…that still doesn't get me you…" She tried, but could not hold back a tear or two. They tore across space at top speed, Jurai was soon within viewing.  
  
On Jurai, Aeka was quietly rushed back to her room where Sasami was waiting with a small kit, which contained the items necessary for such an event. "Tenchi, you have to wait out here…I'll tell you when we're done" He nodded as Sasami closed the door behind him. Tenchi sat outside her room, refusing to give up hope. He simply closed his eyes and kept praying over and over that Aeka live…live to be with him…nothing more. He stayed that way for the duration of the day.  
  
Outside by the spaceport, Vin-Roc was overseeing the final touches to the repairs of his ship. He looked it over; it was a fine ship, one of the best in the universe, both dimensions as far as he was concerned. But, he was still stuck in this dimension, and quite possibly for good. He leaned against the ship and sighed, although they had succeeded in stopping a great threat, there was still his dilemma. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a holo-crystal, it had a recorded image that never left his side…or his heart. The image was of the wedding day of he and his wife Ryoko…it was a day he never could forget…the thought of never seeing her again nearly brought him to tears. He almost didn't notice that Ryoko who was coming up from behind him "Hey whatcha got there?" Before she had a chance to see what was the image, he put the crystal away. "Oh…nothing…I want to thank you again for rescuing us…I do not have much to offer in the form of payment however…" She simply waved off his offer to repay her "Hey…it was nothing…really" But he insisted "I insist, my code will not allow a debt so great to go unpaid…please…take this" He reached over his shoulder and took off his shoulder sling which held his sword and offered it to her.  
  
At first he was reluctant, but then realized if it had not been for her, he would not be here. "Wow…nice…really nice…thank you…I got a feeling this was important to you" She unsheathed the sword and tried it out. "Yes…but I have come to realize that there are somethings that you must soon come to part ways with, no matter how dear they may be…it happens to us all, it is a part of life, a painful part, but one that cannot be denied" He bowed to Ryoko in thanks as she too bowed and began walking away (…you have no idea how right you are…I only wish you were wrong though). He again took on a solemn face, and this time was met by Washu "Hey, looking a little glum there…how come?" He sighed again, but felt that talking aobut it may help "I…I am from another dimension…I cam here when that weapon was used, it caused a spacial anomaly that brought me here…but now" He turned to face the sky "Now…I fear I may never get back home…" Washu smiled a bit "Well, it would be a difficult thing to accomplish…unless of course you're the greatest scientific genius in the universe" He turned to face her "You mean…you can help me get home?" "Of course I can…just one thing…" "Name it…anything you wish" She held her hands together and had a look of childish intent "Would you please call me little Washu?" He was a bit confused by this request but was so grateful of the prospect of returning home he was more than happy to oblige. He clasped both hands together and bowed deeply in great appreciation "Of course, thank you little Washu…thank you…goddess…" She looked puzzled over his last comment, but began working on the proper dimensional gate to get him back home. The soldier turned and went to bid farewell to Tenchi.  
  
He was still outside Aeka's room; it had been all day and still nothing. He refused to leave even to eat, and then Vin-Roc was standing over him. "Oh…hi…" The soldier looked solemn "I see she has still not fully recovered then?" Tenchi shook his head. "I have come to say goodbye, Washu has provided me with a means to return to my home…and to my wife. I feel your pain Tenchi…but do not fear…I have… a feeling things will turn out for the best. You simply need to believe, in the end, all you can do is believe…I must go now…thank you again. To say that you fought with honor and courage…would still not do you justice enough, I am proud to have fought side by side with you" He bowed to Tenchi "Will…will we ever see you again?" The soldier smiled "Look to the stars young man…look and perhaps one may look back to you…and that one may be me" This time they both bowed, and he took his leave.  
  
At the space dock, Vin-Roc went over his final inspection, all systems were sound. Before boarding, he thanked Darul "A scoundrel you may be…but there is honor even among the lowly, or so I have been told. I am proud to have fought alongside you as well", he wished him well and bowed. Darul merely stuck out a hand to shake, bowing wasn't his style "No offense, but its just not me" He smiled and Vin-Roc accepted his shake. He boarded his ship and looked back one last time before taking off. His ship quickly left the planet and was in space "Computer…lets go home…open the dimensional gate" At that, the portal opened and the Heart of Darkness entered, leaving this dimension behind, and returning to his own. Washu watched, happy that she could help him but still…"Now what did he mean by goddess?"  
  
Darul turned his attention now to Washu who did the same; she knew what he was going to ask. "Heh, not to worry, I haven't forgotten our little deal, one ship coming up" He rubbed his hand against the bottom of his chin and thought it would be best to exploit the situation as much as possible…he was after all, a mercenary, not a gentleman. "Now, about that ship, I need you to make sure that it is a fine one, my last one was faithful to the end, and I won't accept anything less from this one" Washu gulped as she saw a long day ahead of her. "Sure thing…" Just as she was getting ready to leave he made one last request "Oh, one more thing…make sure the AI has…shall we say, a very attractive personality…if you know what I mean" He gave a little wink with his eye and Washu sighed (What did I get myself into…) She hung her head low and opened a portal which would lead her to one of her workshops where she would begin on making the ship according to Daruls 'specifications'.  
  
"Well, that's that…now what have we here?" He looked over to Ryoko, who was simply standing over a balcony looking into a river down below. (I never was one to let a pretty lady alone looking so sad) He walked over to where she was "Hey there, thanks again for saving us…names Darul" She kept looking into the river thinking about the changes happening in her life, "Names Ryoko…don't mention it…" There was a bit of silence and Darul felt uncomfortable (This is not a great way to start things off) "So…what do you plan on doing from here?" Darul tried to start some small talk. "I don't know, I guess go back to roaming the stars…not too many reasons to stick around here…he told me something… there are somethings that you must soon come to part ways with…and he was right. It won't be easy, but I guess I have to try" Darul didn't have a clue to what she was talking about, and he really didn't seem to care either. "Look, how 'bout I buy you a drink at the tavern in town, I'm gonna be here a while till my ship is ready, care to join me, I hate drinking alone?" Ryoko was a bit irritated that he was trying to hit on her…but figured it beats sitting around watching water pass under the bridge "Sure, why the hell not" They both went their way to town "By the way, did I mention that I'm a pretty well known guy around these parts…" Really…" "No Really…Darul D'amond…mercenary extraordinaire…" They continued walking to town, all the while Darul was busy doing his best to make himself look good and Ryoko trying not to sound too interested in all his bragging. Washu poked her head out of a dimensional hole and watched with a smile as the two faded off into the distance (…Ryoko…good hunting with this one…he's no Tenchi that's for sure).  
  
It was nighttime, and Tenchi was still waiting outside Aeka's room. He had been there since morning, keeping an ever-constant vigil. (Aeka…please…don't leave me…) Finally, the door to her room opened and Sasami stepped out. He immediately jumped to his feet and ran to her "Sasami…will she…" Sasami simply put a hand on Tenchi's arm "She's resting right now…I've done all I can, most of her Jurian life force has been restored…now the rest is up to her" Tenchi hung his head low, he had hoped for more positive news, but at least she was alive, for now. Sasami saw the look of hurt on his face "Go to her Tenchi, maybe with you by her side, she may come back to us" Tenchi nodded and went to kiss Sasami on the forehead, but was surprised when she picked her head higher, and their lips met. He was shocked at first, but then realized that there was more to Sasami then met the eye, she was also Tsunami as well, and he knew they both cared very much for him as well. When they had parted, Sasami blushed slightly "Remember me Tenchi…you mean just as much to me as well…" "I could never forget you Sasami, or your sister…the two of you are important to me, I realize that now…I have to go to her, thank you Sasami" He walked into her room and closed the door behind her. Sasami wiped a tear from her eye; she truly loved Tenchi and wanted to be with him, but also with her sister, the three of them. As she began to turn and walk away, she saw Washu standing a few feet off in the distance. "Well, I finished with Darul's ship, I hope this calls it even. You really care about him don't you Sasami?" The little princess nodded and went to hug Washu. "I'll tell you a little secret too Sasami…you aren't the only one who cares for him…" Sasami looked up into Washu's eyes, she knew who she really was, what she was, Tsunami had told her, but made her promise not to tell, that was something Washu needed to find out on her own. Washu continued "Who knows, maybe…maybe he might accept me too…in this crazy universe…strange things have been known to happen" she held Sasami close and they then turned and began walking away, Tenchi and Aeka would need some privacy now.  
  
Inside Aeka's room, Tenchi walked over to her bed and saw the princess laying there, still and motionless. He ran his hand through her hair, and caressed her face. This was not the way he wanted it to end. He had gone through so much, tried so hard, would he be left with a lifeless shell, empty of the life that he wanted to be a part of, the love he wanted to make a part of his own? He picked Aeka up and held her in his arms. He didn't care if this would be the end; he just wanted her close to him, to feel her warmth one last time. "Aeka…please don't leave me…I need you…I want you with me always…please…I love you…" A tear fell from his eye and landed on her cheek. He buried his head in her hair and took in her scent one more time; it was nothing short of beautiful. He was about to lay her back down, but he felt a hand reach for his. He leaned her head back and saw Aeka open her eyes and look into his. "Aeka…you're…you're back!" He held her closely and tried not to cry too much, but he could not help it, and he kissed her.  
  
He sat beside her in her bed and held her close in front of him. Aeka leaned her head against his chest and held both his hands " I knew you would not leave me…I tried so hard not to leave…and then when I heard your voice…I knew that I simply could not leave…" Aeka looked into Tenchi's eyes, she knew they had been through so much recently, but now that they were together, none of that mattered anymore. She leaned up and kissed him "I…I love you Tenchi…I'll always love you…never forget that" Tenchi kissed Aeka "If ever I should forget, may my life end that same moment" They kissed again as the stars came out overhead. Aeka's parents would be returning soon from lengthy negotiations with a far of system, and they would be quite pleased and quite shocked as to the recent events their daughter had been involved in. Nevertheless, with the exception of her father, her mother and aunt would be pleased with her choice, and for her father, he would eventually come around and accept Tenchi, for in time, all things are possible.  
  
"So…you finally decided to come back home…where were you…I was worried sick…next time I'm coming with you. Who knows what little hussies may be throwing themselves at you…well I won't have any of that!" It was a long day back home on Alcaron, Vin-Roc knew that his wife was glad to se him again, she just had a rather…unique way of showing it…it was good to be home again. "Are you listening to me?" Vin-Roc pulled his wife close to him and kissed her for quite sometime "I never stopped listening to you…my wife" They both smiled and as they began walking through the garden outside the palace, she mentioned to him how if they hurried, they would make it in time for the wedding of Tenchi and Kiyone. Vin-Roc looked up to a clear and beautiful sky and held Ryoko close to him "Yes…that is an event I would not miss for all the tears of Techlar"  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes from the author:  
  
I truly hoped that you enjoyed this, it was a bit of work, but I can finally say "phew" I hope you enjoyed this rather lengthy fan-fic. Please as always send all your questions and comments to yours truly at despairisu@aol.com. Remember, the only way to improve is to be made aware of your faults as well as your best points. Oh, and here's a little extra to go along with Tenchi's feelings for Aeka:  
  
Let them know  
  
  
  
I have you here  
  
I have you now  
  
Please take my hand  
  
Do not ever let go  
  
I want you here by me  
  
By my side always  
  
And soon a part of me  
  
From beginning to end  
  
I have you here  
  
But will you believe  
  
After the end  
  
Will you remember our days?  
  
And not forget our nights  
  
I have you here  
  
Please take my hand  
  
Be my shelter from the cold  
  
Keep my heart warm  
  
Sharpen my smile  
  
And give my soul  
  
A reason to go on  
  
If I should cry  
  
Do not stop me  
  
For, it is the sound  
  
Of my heart rejoicing  
  
I have you here  
  
I have you now  
  
You have me  
  
And I pray  
  
That it will not be  
  
Just for now 


End file.
